Eltanin broke the seal and opened the will. When he read the contents, his eyes became wide. "But this is--"
Kinshra placed her hand over his and said, "This is the wish of Biham. Please don't deny it to him. I know he wouldn't like it if you refuse it."
Tania was looking at Eltanin with curiosity and agony mixed. "What is it, Elty?" she asked.
Eltanin lowered his face to look at the scroll and then handed it to her. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Read it."
Tania opened it and started to read and as she read it, her eyes became moist. With a soft smile that was laced with affection, she said, "Father trusted you a lot..." She placed the scroll beside her and hugged her mother. "It's a lot you want to give."
Kinshra patted her back and then stroked it. "It's all we have and I know that it will be in the right hands."
According to the will, the kingdom now belonged to Lusitania. It was up to her to allow the merger of two kingdoms of Draka and Pegasii and bring them under one rule. Tania was overwhelmed by her father's decision. He had given her so much and then some more. He had ensured that the kingdom didn't fall in the hands of other greedy courtiers.
Lord Krail entered the room and he was genuinely surprised to see Kinshra on the bed, hugging Tania. Eltanin was sitting in front of them, watching them fondly and protectively.
Feeling a thousand times nicer, her walked to the two girls. His hand went to Kinshra whose head he caressed with moist eyes. "I am so happy to see you here, Kinshra," he said.
Kinshra looked up at her father and gave him a sad smile. "I am so sorry to keep you waiting all the time, father, but it was not in my control."
Lord Krail sat down on the chair that Eltanin vacated for him. As Eltanin brought another chair for himself, Tania handed her grandfather, her parents' will.
"What is this?" Lord Krail asked, frowning a little.
"It is Biham's will," Kinshra replied as she sighed, her gaze drifting to Biham.
Another wave of surprise passed through him. He rolled the scroll out and read it. Once he finished it, his face split into a smile. "This is the best decision Biham has made. Even I wanted the same thing!" he said, looking at Eltanin.
Eltanin let out a rough exhale, his mind getting filled with various scenarios. But the most important part was what Tania thought about it. He had to talk to her in private about it.
Lord Krail rolled back the scroll and handed it to Eltanin. "I think it is high time that we start with Biham's funeral. It wouldn't be wise to delay." From the corner of his eye, he saw Kinshra who paled and her face morphed into pain. He closed his eyes, feeling her pain and said, "Kinshra, do you want to stall the funeral? Because if you want, then we can delay it a few days more."
Kinshra swallowed thickly as her eyes went to Biham. Taking a deep breath in, she said, "No, I want him to cross the Fade. I know he is still somewhere around here and he is waiting to go to the Fade." Her gaze came back to her father. "You can take him for his last rites. Let the Pegasii people see their king for the last time."
Two hours later, the whole of Pegasii was standing in a long line to pay their tributes to the king who had ruled them for a very long time. Kinshra sat on the right of the king while Tania sat on the left. Everyone couldn't help looking at their new queen who would be ruling Pegasii now. They would bow to her and leave.
By evening, the visits were stopped and Biham was taken for his last rites. Kinshra stifled her sobs and stood with her chin up when she saw his body blazing and becoming one with fire. Tania and Eltanin stood next to her, holding her hands, assuring her that they were there with her.
Kinshra stayed there for a very long time and then came back. She locked herself in her room and refused to eat.
Eltanin and Tania came back to their bedchamber. It was difficult to sleep that night.
A week later, things in Pegasii progressed. Many faes who had come to the kingdom for the war against Nyxers, helped build the kingdom back. Slowly, people were recovering. Soldiers who died in the battle were brought home and given proper funerals. The Nyxers were driven back to Hydra Kingdom and the faes created a heavy magic seal on the boundary of the Hydra Kingdom to make sure that no one escaped it. Nyxers were given their final punishment. Now they had to sustain with whatever they had.
As for King Felis, he remained dead on the grounds of the Ivory Forest. It had become impossible to enter the area where his body was. Some said that the spirit of Pegasii didn't allow anyone to enter that area out of revenge. Not even a bird could enter. Forest grew thicker in that area and his body got covered with bushes and roots.
Lord Krail was sitting with Eltanin and others in the meeting chamber. The courtiers demanded that Lusitania become their next queen. However, Lord Krail knew that if she became the queen of Pegasii, she would have to stay back and away from her husband. Lusitania was pregnant and he didn't want her alone this while. Not only that, he was aware that if the queens stayed away, the kings usually created their harems. The thought made him growl.
"The decision lies upon Lusitania!" he said, silencing the courtiers who were arguing and divided over this issue. He slid Biham's will to the center of the table. "This is Biham's will and this will be honored."
Alpha Alrakis and Taiyi were also in the meeting room. They had come three days back and helped a lot in taking care of the whole palace because Tania was still grieving. "Lord Krail is absolutely right!" Taiyi agreed. "It is Tania who will have the final say."
"Well, you would want the kingdom to be merged, won't you?" one of the courtiers scoffed.
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